Love Can Hurt
by keikoutou
Summary: Umm...lessee...this is a Seto/Ryou ficcie. Seto and Ryou's relationship has been teetering. Seto's overprotectiveness of Mokuba wasn't helping either. And what's up with Yami Bakura? Err...i think that's about it. Oh, a bit OOC seto.
1. chapter 1

Love Hurts  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Seto, Bakura, or anyone else in Yugioh.  
  
A/N: Some parts of this is a bit confusing, especially in the last few chapters. Sorry about that, but I had no idea what I was thinking when I wrote them!  
  
Bakura is mentioned as Ryou. Yami Bakura is mentioned, as, well Yami Bakura.  
  
Chapter One  
  
The sunlight shone brightly and the birds chirped merrily as a certain albino woke. Seeing he was still alone, Ryou sighed. 'Why does Seto have to work all day? I barely get to see him.'  
  
The white-haired boy stared sadly out of the windows of Kaiba mansion, hoping to see his love. Their relationship was dangerously teetering since they couldn't spend too much time together. Unfortunately, due to his job as CEO, Seto was hardly around to be at home. So Ryou only had Mokuba and his Yami for company, though he didn't really think Yami Bakura would be counted. Ryou stared at his millennium ring for a while, having nothing else to do.  
  
'Maybe Yami is in a good mood today.' Ryou thought. 'Then again, maybe not.' He thought again as he remembered his yami's unusual anger for the past few weeks.  
  
About a month ago, he and his Yami had come to what could be called a truce. But Yami Bakura had his mood swings, and was usually unpredictable. Although he agreed to stop hurting Ryou, he didn't say he would restrain himself from hurting anyone else. A major reason why Ryou didn't ask for his Yami's company too often.  
  
'Still.there really isn't much to do.from the sounds of it, seems like Mokuba went off somewhere.' It was true. The huge mansion was empty save for the white-haired boy, giving the only occupant a lonely feeling.  
  
"I hope Yami's in a good mood right now." Ryou repeated out loud.  
  
~Yami? Would you like to come out?~ Ryou asked mentally.  
  
~/ Why?/~ came the snapping response.  
  
Ryou cringed at the forceful tone. 'Guess I was wrong.'  
  
~Never mind.~  
  
There was what seemed to be a mental sigh from the dark side.  
  
~/No, I want to come out./~  
  
The ring glowed and the Yami materialized.  
  
"So why did you want me?" Yami Bakura asked bad temperedly.  
  
"I was bored. Seto." He trailed off as he caught the dangerous glimmer in the Yami's eyes. For some reason, Yami Bakura had developed an immense hatred for his hikari's lover.  
  
"Well, anyway," Ryou said cautiously, hoping not to arouse any tantrums, "The Kaibas are gone and I have nothing to do."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So, I was wondering if you wanted to do something."  
  
Yami glanced at Ryou and replied, "Hmmmm.let me think.no."  
  
Ignoring the indignant look on Ryou's face, Yami Bakura strode out of the room, and out the house.  
  
"Well that went well." Ryou muttered.  
  
'But I wonder why he hates Seto so much?' Ryou thought, remembering his Yami's expression when Seto's name was mentioned.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Argh!" Seto nearly tore his hair out in frustration. The stress was building too much on him. "Can't they give me a break!?" he shouted to no one in particular. 'I mean, come on! I'm only a teenager!' Seto thought angrily as he stared resentfully at the mountainous pile of new paperwork he had to go through.  
  
"Some day, soon," Seto muttered crossly, "I'm going to end it all if it continues this way."  
  
The young CEO glanced at the framed picture on his desk and his features softened. A dreamy look came to his face as he murmured the person's name. "Ryou -chan."  
  
'What was I thinking? I can't leave Ryou all alone. Especially not with his Yami, and Mokuba wouldn't fare too well without me either.' Seto sighed sadly. It had been a long time since he had spent some time with either Mokuba or Ryou. Nowadays, it was rare for him to go home at all. In fact, he hadn't been home in several days.  
  
'I hope they're not too distressed.'  
  
Oh how he was wrong.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mokuba didn't know where he was going, but he didn't care. He didn't even mind the staring passersby as he stumbled down the sidewalk, tears running fast down his bruised face.  
  
Seeing an empty bench in the nearby park, he sat down, and huddled into a miserable ball, ignoring the pain in his arms and stomach. 'Why weren't you there, Seto?' he thought. 'Usually, you're there to help me when Sachiko (the bully who loves to pick on Mokuba, just because he's a rich kid) comes. But now you're never there!'  
  
With his eyes shut tight, he didn't notice the other person approach him until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he found himself face to face with Yugi Moto.  
  
"Leave me alone." Mokuba snapped. Usually, he was pretty friendly with the spiky haired boy, but he wasn't in the mood to chat at the moment.  
  
Instead of leaving, the other boy just took a seat next to the younger Kaiba. "Are you okay?" Yugi questioned.  
  
"I'm fine, so just go away!"  
  
"It's your brother, isn't it?" Yugi asked gently.  
  
"How would you know?" Mokuba asked, a little more politely this time.  
  
"I noticed too. He hasn't been around much, and you miss him, right?"  
  
"Well.yeah." Mokuba sniffed.  
  
When Yugi spoke again, it was slightly deeper, signifying his Yami had taken over. "It's okay, don't be upset with him. He's working so he can support you. So you can have a good life, and so you won't have to go through the hardships he went through. Just be patient with him, and he will be back with you. Remember, right now he's probably very stressed, so he needs your support. Not your rejection."  
  
Mokuba stared. "Gee, I never thought of it that way. Thanks Yugi!"  
  
Yami had reverted back. "No problem!" Yugi said happily.  
  
The two went their own ways, Mokuba making his way back home.  
  
'Yugi's probably right. I shouldn't be so selfish, Seto's not leaving me on purpose.' As Mokuba was thinking, he ran slapbang into a taller person, falling back down.  
  
"S-sorry, mister." When Mokuba looked up, he smiled brightly, his previous sad mood gone. "Hi Ryou!" he chirped.  
  
The other boy looked down at the Kaiba and sneered scornfully.  
  
"Uhh.Ryou?" Mokuba was confused at the other's actions.  
  
(Note: Mokuba doesn't know about Yami Bakura)  
  
"Pathetic." Mokuba stiffened at the unfamiliar voice. 'What's the matter with Ryou'  
  
"You're all the same. All the Kaibas are pathetic, haughty, and such a big pain to everyone!" he continued.  
  
Mokuba was hurt to hear such words come from someone he thought he could trust. "Wh-what do you mean? Ryou, what's wrong with you!"  
  
"I'm not Ryou, you little brat."  
  
"N-nani?"  
  
"Stupid Seto, stupid Kaiba, he always gets in the way! Now, because of him, what use am I to Ryou?" Yami Bakura rambled on. Mokuba just sat there, extremely perplexed.  
  
Yami Bakura looked at Mokuba again. "Go tell your brother to get lost and leave my light alone!" Mokuba cried out as Yami Bakura kicked him hard in the stomach. Yami Bakura then delivered some swift but hard punches to the younger boy, then walked away, muttering, "You got lucky, young Kaiba. I'm saving my worst for your stupid brother!"  
  
'Ow.'  
  
Mokuba was hurt and confused. Hurt because his middle throbbed from the vicious kick he had received. Confused because Ryou had always been nice to him, almost like another older brother. But now, it seems like Ryou hated him! 'What'd I do?'  
  
And why would Ryou want to hurt his brother? They loved each other!  
  
Looking up, he saw the sun setting. Thinking he should get home, he staggered upright and painfully made his way back to the mansion. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: don't own yugioh.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"Where'd you go?"  
  
Yami Bakura ignored the questions of his lighter side and just returned to the ring.  
  
~What's the matter?~ Ryou asked.  
  
~/None of your damned business, now get out!/~  
  
Ryou felt himself blocked from the link. "Okay."  
  
He glanced at the clock. It read 12:42 AM. 'Whoa.where'd Yami go so that he'd be gone all day?'  
  
*Ring, ring!*  
  
Ryou ran to answer the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Ryou -chan, it's me!" Ryou gasped happily at the familiar voice.  
  
"Seto!"  
  
"Yeah, guess what? I'll be able to come home today! Or rather, tonight."  
  
"Really? That's great! When?" Ryou asked, almost giddy with excitement.  
  
"Right now, I'm talking to you on my cell phone, and I'm driving home right now!"  
  
"Great, I can't wait to see you!"  
  
"Yeah, me too. Bye!"  
  
Ryou hung up. Suddenly, he threw himself onto the nearby sofa, and sighed happily. "Yes, Seto's coming home, Seto's coming home, Seto's coming home!" he repeated over and over.  
  
~/ You sound like he went on a business trip, lover boy. Idiot. He's only coming from work! Plus, you only have the night to be together, dimwit. It's already 12:50!/~  
  
~So, finally decided to talk, eh?~  
  
~/Don't push it./~ Yami Bakura mentally growled before he shut the link again.  
  
Ryou shook his head. He'd never fully understand his Yami, that's for sure.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Wow, I can't believe I finished all that paperwork in such a short amount of time!' Kaiba thought as he drove towards his home. Though he was happy to be finished for that day and have enough spare time to go home, he suspected his co worker Kumi had done some of the work for him.  
  
'I'll have to give her a pay raise some day.' Seto thought. As he rolled down the window to feel the cool night breeze, he spotted someone limping along the sidewalk, and it looked like he was in pain.  
  
Seto was about to just drive by, too eager to see Ryou to stop for some hobo, when he recognized who the person was.  
  
"Mokuba!"  
  
The car screeched to a stop right next to the brother.  
  
Mokuba looked up. As he spotted who called his name, his eyes lit up despite how much pain he was obviously in.  
  
"Nii-chan!" he tried to run to his brother, but instead tripped on his bruised ankle.  
  
Seto quickly got out of his car and ran to his brother.  
  
"Mokuba, what happened? Are you okay?"  
  
"I-I'm fine."  
  
Seto frowned as he placed Mokuba in the backseat. "Don't lie to me, Mokuba. Tell me what happened."  
  
Seto resumed his driving position and continued home.  
  
"Well, at first it wasn't so bad. I was walking to the park to be alone after Sachiko picked on me again."  
  
"Why that little-!" Seto growled.  
  
"But then, as I made my way home, I bumped into Ryou. He acted kind of weird- as if he hated you and me!"  
  
'Yami Bakura.' Seto thought.  
  
"I tried to say hi, but he j-just." Mokuba started to cry.  
  
"What'd he do? Was it that bad?" Seto asked gently as he drove.  
  
"He called you and me pathetic, and said something about you getting in the way. Then he kicked and punched me! Much worse than Sachiko!" Mokuba wailed.  
  
"Shh, it's okay." Seto soothed. If he hadn't been driving, he would have comforted his brother in any way he could.  
  
"It's not okay! I thought I could trust him, I considered him like a brother! B-but now." Mokuba couldn't continue as his sobs took over.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll deal with it Mokuba."  
  
"H-h-how?" Mokuba hiccupped. "Y-you t-two l-l-love each o-other!"  
  
By now, they had arrived home. Seto got out and carefully got his brother out. "Shh, just sleep. It'll do you good." Mokuba snuggled into the warmth and safety of his brother's arms, and drifted off as he was carried.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ryou stared at the clock, growing more and more impatient. "one thousand two hundred eighty, one thousand two hundred eighty one, one thousand two hundred eighty two..."  
  
~/Would you shut up already, and stop counting the seconds! You're driving me insane! (which he already is)/~ Yami Bakura screamed through the link.  
  
~But Yami! Seto-chan's coming home!~ Bakura replied happily, paying no heed to the dangerous tone in his yami's voice.  
  
Just then, and perhaps fortunately, as Yami Bakura was about to lose control, the door opened.  
  
"Seto's home!" Ryou sprang up and raced to the door as if his life depended on it.  
  
"Seto-chan, you-" Ryou stopped as he saw the grim expression and his brother in his arms.  
  
"Seto-chan, what happened to Mokuba? Is he okay?" Ryou asked, concerned for the little guy.  
  
"He's fine now, but no thanks to you." The billionaire growled.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"We had an agreement when you moved in. Either you keep control of your Yami, or you dispose of that ring!" Seto barked.  
  
"But Seto-chan, you know I can't get rid of the ring, and Yami didn't do anything!" Ryou protested.  
  
"Oh? Then where was he today?"  
  
"Well.he just went out. I assumed he went for a walk, since he seemed a little tense." Ryou mumbled.  
  
All the shouting woke up the sleeping Mokuba. "Nii-chan?" he murmured. Just then, he caught sight of Ryou.  
  
"Ryou!" Mokuba cried out and hugged his brother for comfort.  
  
"Mokuba? Are you okay?" Ryou questioned as he lifted a hand to comfort the boy.  
  
Mokuba just squinched his eyes shut and trembled. "What's the matter with him?" Ryou asked Seto.  
  
"That's what I was getting to. Your Yami just beat him today near the park! _You_ were supposed to prevent things like that from happening!" Seto roared furiously. "And no one hurts my brother without paying! Get out your Yami!"  
  
Ryou backed up fearfully. "Seto, please. You know I can't do that. He may not be the best person in the world, but I can't just let you hurt him! He's still a part of me! Please, understand."  
  
Seto shot him a glare, and said, "We'll discuss this after I get Mokuba to bed."  
  
As Seto went upstairs to deposit his brother in his bedroom, Ryou sat down, greatly distraught. ~Yami! Why did you do that? You realize you probably ruined our relationship by hurting Mokuba! Tell me. Why?~  
  
~/Why should I tell you? You're too busy being lover boy, why would you care what I say or do?/~  
  
Before Ryou could answer, Seto returned. He sat on the sofa opposite of Ryou .  
  
"Seto, please.I really didn't think Yami would do such a thing."  
  
"Save it." Seto cut him off. He suddenly jumped up and grasped the other boy's shoulders tightly, pinning him down. Ryou's eyes were wide with fright.  
  
"Yami Bakura!" Seto bellowed in Ryou's face. "Get out here now, you're going to pay for hurting Mokuba! Come on, you coward!"  
  
"Seto, please, stop!" Ryou begged, as he thrashed to escape his lover's iron grip. "You're hurting me!"  
  
~/I'm coming out./~  
  
~Yami, don't! That'll only make things worse, for once, just stay!~  
  
~/Why should I listen to you?/~  
  
~If you don't, I'll.I'll.I'll throw the ring in the ocean, even if it means killing myself!~ Bakura mentally fought his yami to keep him in his soul room.  
  
~/Fine, I'll deal with Seto another time, seeing as you're so desperate enough to threaten _and_ fight me./~  
  
Ryou was jerked out of his link by another shout. Seto had released him, knowing Yami Bakura wasn't coming out, so he had resolved to shouting at Ryou. "Either you get your Yami out right now, or I'll." Seto faltered, not knowing what to say. He didn't really want to hurt Ryou since he wasn't really the one who injured his brother.  
  
Ryou backed away, thinking Seto didn't finish his sentence because he was too angry. Tears began to trickle down his face as he faced his angry lover, most likely to be his lover no more.  
  
Seto's expression relaxed a bit as he saw Ryou's tears. Before he could apologize for his behavior, Ryou whirled around and ran out of the house, crying as if his heart had broken. In fact, it had.  
  
"Ryou, wait!" ~/Now I'm taking over./~  
  
~No, you'll hurt - ~  
  
~/Cool it, I'm just gonna run for you, since you know as well as I do that you can't outrun Seto Kaiba./~  
  
Ryou consented, even if it was slightly suspicious of his Yami to offer any type of help. He became slightly taller, his eyes slanted down more, and his hair seemed to turn a darker shade as Yami Bakura took over his body.  
  
"Ryou!" Seto had followed and was catching up.  
  
Yami Bakura ran faster, as he neared the gates of the Kaiba residence. Having no time to open it, especially since it was too dark to see the lock, he nimbly leaped over it without even getting a scratch.  
  
Seto's eyes widened as he realized this was Yami Bakura. There was no way Ryou had the agility to do that. "Yami Bakura, get back here!" he roared.  
  
Seto also jumped over the gate, chasing down the other boy. Surprisingly, he caught up to the yami and grabbed his arm, twisting it painfully back.  
  
Yami Bakura snarled, and smashed his free elbow into Seto's middle. The force caused Seto to fall and release the yami.  
  
Before Seto could get up to continue the chase, Yami Bakura leaped into the darkness of the night. Seto groaned, partly in pain, and partly in failure. It was way too dark to catch Yami Bakura now. Slowly, he made his way back to the house, guilt building up inside of him.  
  
'Ryou .I'm really sorry.' Seto thought as he gave one last glance in the direction Yami Bakura had disappeared. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer. Don't own yugioh.  
  
Chapter Three  
  
As he ran, Yami Bakura could feel his hikari sobbing in his soul room.  
  
~/Another reason why you shouldn't have gotten with Seto./~  
  
~What are you talking about, it was your fault!~ Ryou accused between sobs.  
  
~/Even if it was, he took it out on you. What kind of lover is that?/~ Yami Bakura retorted.  
  
Ryou didn't answer.  
  
As he rounded the corner, Yami Bakura sensed a power source. He could see a glowing object in the distance. He stopped, staring curiously. The object came closer and closer, until it was close enough for Yami Bakura to realize it was the Millennium puzzle. Along with it's wearer.  
  
"You!" Yami (Yugi) hissed.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" Yami Bakura asked, his tone far from friendly.  
  
"What are _you_ doing out here?" Yami countered.  
  
"I asked you first."  
  
"Hmph. I was out taking a midnight walk. Now, you?"  
  
"Running from Seto Kaiba." Yami Bakura answered bluntly. He caught the suspicious look Yami gave him.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Mind your own business! Did _I_ ask you why you wanted to take a midnight walk?!? Don't pry, pharaoh!" Yami Bakura bit out. No one else knew about Seto's and Ryou's relationship, save for Mokuba. They just assumed Ryou moved in since his parents died and he had no place to stay.  
  
"Tell me why." This time, it wasn't a question. It was a demand.  
  
"No."  
  
"Tell me!" Yami shouted as the Sennen Eye appeared, indicating the pharaoh was fast losing patience. It wasn't like him to be so nosy, but he still didn't trust the tomb robber. Even though Ryou claimed his yami stopped beating him, he was still a little wary around the yami of the Sennen ring holder.  
  
Exasperated with Yami's persistence, Yami Bakura returned to his soul room, leaving Ryou in control.  
  
Ryou blinked in confusion, as he had no knowledge of what had happened since Yami Bakura took control.  
  
Yami noticed the changes and his voice turned considerably nicer.  
  
"Ryou, what happened? Why are you running from Kaiba?" he asked gently.  
  
At the mention of his former lover's name, Ryou burst into tears again, startling the pharaoh.  
  
'Woa, something really bad must've happened. I should let Yugi handle this.'  
  
Yami reverted to Yugi.  
  
Yugi walked up to the sobbing boy and tried to help.  
  
"Ryou, why don't you come to my place, okay?" he asked.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Man, I really blew it." Seto moaned. "My first night with Ryou in months, and I scare him off! Augh!" Seto banged his head repeatedly against the wall, berating himself for such a costly mistake.  
  
"Ryou probably hates me right now."  
  
"Niichan?" a soft voice came.  
  
Seto turned to face his brother, who had woken. "Mokuba! You should be in bed, it's very late! And you're injured."  
  
"I know, but I could hear a lot of shouting. What happened? Did you force Ryou to leave?"  
  
Seto sighed. He should have told Mokuba about Yami Bakura. "Sort of."  
  
"Okay, look Mokuba. You know how Yugi has an alter ego, right?"  
  
Mokuba nodded. "Yami."  
  
"Yeah. Well, Ryou has one too. Yami Bakura. Only, I never told you before because his alter ego is evil, and, unlike Yugi's, loves to hurt people." Seto explained.  
  
Mokuba's eyes widened. "So.that Ryou look-alike who beat me up was.Yami Bakura?"  
  
Seto nodded.  
  
"Really?" Mokuba squeaked. "That means Ryou's still nice! I thought he turned mean all of sudden, but now I know he's still like another brother to me! Where is he? I want to apologize for thinking he was his Yami. Can I see him?"  
  
Seto bit his lip. "Mokuba."  
  
"What, niichan?"  
  
"I, well."  
  
"You what?"  
  
"I sort of scared him off."  
  
Mokuba stared.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I got mad at his Yami for hurting you, so I took it out on him." Seto answered, the guilt obvious in his voice.  
  
"But, why?"  
  
"I wasn't thinking, I was just really mad. I guess I sort of lost control."  
  
Mokuba's eyes filled with tears. "But nii-chan.does that mean Ryou's never coming back? Will I ever see him again?"  
  
"I don't know." Seto whispered.  
  
Mokuba ran back to his room, crying.  
  
Seto held his head in his hands. 'What a mess.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So that's what happened?" Yugi asked, just to make sure he got it right.  
  
Ryou nodded, sniffling.  
  
Suddenly, the ring glowed as Yami Bakura came out. Yugi felt Yami tense up in his soul room.  
  
"Yes, that's what happened, and if this brainless wreck had listened to me, it wouldn't have happened!" the enraged Yami snapped wrathfully.  
  
Ryou just continued to cry.  
  
Yami came out of the puzzle, and spoke in a warning voice, "Shut it, Yami Bakura. You're only making it worse for him."  
  
Yami Bakura just crossed his arms and glared.  
  
"Where will you stay?" Yugi inquired.  
  
"I-I don't know." Ryou hiccupped.  
  
"You may stay with us, provided that Yami Bakura behaves." Yami said, while engaged in a glaring contest with the tomb robber.  
  
"There's no way I'm gonna stay here with _you_!" Yami Bakura burst out at Yami. "Come on!" Yami Bakura yanked his lighter side up by his shirtfront. "We're leaving!"  
  
Yami rushed forward, his third eye faintly glowing. "Let Ryou decide." he snarled dangerously.  
  
Yami Bakura just sneered at him and took control of Ryou. "We'll make our leave here." Swiftly, Yami Bakura yanked the door open and ran out.  
  
Yami rushed forward to catch him, but he was long gone.  
  
"Damn!" he muttered angrily. "Ryou's going to get hurt by that untrustworthy thief!"  
  
"Maybe not. Yami Bakura seems to have changed a tiny bit for the better." Yugi replied.  
  
"I hope you're right for Bakura's sake."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
~Yami, where will we go?~  
  
~/I have to think about that, so shut your trap!/~  
  
Ryou didn't think he could take this anymore. First, Seto pushed him away, in more ways than one. Then, Yami Bakura begins to act as if he'll start hurting him again.  
  
'What did I do to deserve this?' Ryou pondered miserably.  
  
He was interrupted by his Yami. ~/I don't want that damned Seto finding us, so I'm going to find a place far from his house./~  
  
This only made Ryou feel worse. Even if Seto had rejected him, he didn't exactly want to be somewhere so he could hardly see Seto again.  
  
Yami Bakura continued to run, even after running a few miles without rest. He used the magic of the Sennen ring to have such endurance. Not even a car could best him at the speed in which he ran.  
  
By now, Yami Bakura had reached the countryside, where the farmers lived, few their numbers may be. ~/Hmm. Now there's an interesting place./~  
  
Ryou, looking through his Yami's point of view, saw a small yet sturdy house up ahead. It had a rather large garden, more like a farming field filled with crops.  
  
As the Yami approached it, he peeked inside. There, he saw a family, a father, mother, and son all sprawled out on the floor.  
  
He felt Ryou panic. ~What's wrong with them? Are they dead?~  
  
Yami forced open the door and cautiously poked the three people. No movement. Then he checked their pulses.  
  
~Well? Are they dead?~  
  
~/As a doornail. I think they died from a disease, seeing as there's no blood. /~ Yami Bakura felt no sympathy for the dead family. Instead, he hauled them unceremoniously outside, leaving them there to rot.  
  
~/This place'll do./~  
  
~Yami!~ Ryou cried out, clearly disturbed by his Yami's actions.  
  
Ryou came out of his soul room.  
  
"How could you just take the house of a dead family, especially when you just leave them out there without a proper burial!" he shouted.  
  
Yami Bakura just shrugged. "They're dead. What use will they need of this house? They're dead, while we're alive. We need a place, they don't."  
  
Ryou just shot him a glare, so unlike himself, as he walked outside to bury the dead family. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Do I really need to say this every chapter!?? I DON'T OWN YUGIOH!  
  
Chapter Four  
  
~~The next day~~  
  
"Ryou! Ryou, where are you!" Seto called desperately, driving around as he searched for the albino.  
  
"Seto?" Seto turned to face the petite form of Yugi.  
  
"What?" Seto asked, impatient to continue his search.  
  
"Are you looking for Ryou?" Yugi asked.  
  
Seto immediately focused all his attention on the boy in front of him. "Have you seen him?"  
  
"Well, actually, he came to my house last night. You two have a little quarrel to resolve, don't you." Yugi said sympathetically.  
  
"Which way did he go?" Seto demanded.  
  
"Ummm.I'm pretty sure he went that way." Yugi pointed in a direction.  
  
Just as Seto was about to drive off, Yugi said softly, "Seto, you may be mad at Yami Bakura, but just remember he has his reasons."  
  
"Whatever." Seto muttered as he drove off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yami Bakura growled as Ryou sulked. He went over and grabbed his arm, yanking him up. "You worthless moron, get over him already!" he yelled.  
  
Ryou answered in a tiny voice. "I can't."  
  
"Argh! How can someone possibly hang onto someone as much as you do to Seto? Don't you remember, he rejected you, he doesn't care for you anymore!" Yami Bakura shrieked.  
  
This caused Ryou to snap. He wrenched his arm out of his Yami's grasp, shouting, "Shut up, you, you insensitive.jerk! How would you know, and even if you did, it was all your fault! Just shut up and leave me alone!!" Ryou cried while he feebly pounded his Yami, trying to get him to go away.  
  
"Just leave me alone." Ryou whispered.  
  
Ryou's eyes widened as a hand came in contact with his face. He fell from the impact of the slap, but the pain wasn't what shocked him. 'I thought Yami agreed not to hurt me anymore.'  
  
Yami Bakura just stood there, his eyes unusually bright. Ryou could have sworn he saw unshed tears in Yami Bakura's eyes. "Is that how you want it?! Fine. But let me just ask you this, Ryou Bakura. You feel it is painful to be away from your love, yes?"  
  
Silently, Ryou nodded.  
  
" That's nothing. My pain is tripled to yours. How would you feel if you were with the one you love everyday of your life, yet he loved someone else. Yet he paid no attention to you unless he was alone. He would only come to you if he had no one else to be with. And if you tried to tell him of your love, he would not believe you because of what you did in the past. You had to watch your love be with someone else, watch him enjoy being with someone else, while not thinking once of you. And this you had to endure every single day. Well?!? Tell me! TELL ME, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?" Yami Bakura shouted bitterly.  
  
Ryou was stunned. "I-I-"  
  
Yami Bakura didn't want to hear it. He stormed out the house, shouting as he ran. "You wanted to be alone, fine, you'll be alone!"  
  
Ryou cried out, "Wait, Yami, come back, please!"  
  
His Yami ignored his pleas and continued to run, away from his light.  
  
Ryou sunk to his knees. 'Yami, is this how you felt? I'm so sorry. I didn't know.' Tears wet the rug he sat on.  
  
'Please come back.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!!" Yami Bakura scolded himself, banging his head on a tree. He hadn't run far. He could still see the house, but he was far enough to escape if Ryou came after him.  
  
"Idiot!" Yami Bakura continued to reprimand himself, even as he felt hot tears spill. "Great, now what will Ryou think of me? And what did I go shooting my mouth off for? He probably thinks I lost my mind. If I haven't already." he sniggered mirthlessly, despite his tears.  
  
"Stupid, stupid me. He'll think I'm weak now. I hope he didn't see my tears. Ugh, what would _that_ do to my reputation?! Argh!" the frustrated Yami resumed banging his head, harder and harder, not stopping even when he nearly got a bruise.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Seto drove, not really caring if he was speeding or not. Besides, he was in the countryside where there were hardly any people. 'Come on, Ryou, where are you!' he thought frantically.  
  
Seto spotted a small house, a little distance away. Deciding to investigate, hoping Ryou would be there, Seto was about to step on the gas a bit more when he noticed something else.  
  
A person, who seemed to be banging his head against a tree. He looked like Ryou, but when Seto observed more closely, he realized it was the yami. Quickly, he got out of the car and rapidly made his way towards the dark side.  
  
Yami Bakura didn't seem to notice the approaching other. Roughly, Seto grabbed Yami Bakura's shoulder and spun him around so they faced each other. "Where's Ryou?" Seto hissed.  
  
The other boy's expression hardened further upon recognition of the taller boy. "Why should I tell you?"  
  
"He's not with you in his soul room?"  
  
Yami Bakura sneered, "No, he's not."  
  
"Then where is he?!?" Seto was becoming very impatient.  
  
"Why do you want to know? From how you acted back at the mansion, you don't love him anymore." He was about to throw a punch, but Seto noticed with his lightning reflexes. In the blink of an eye, Seto had Yami Bakura pinned against the tree.  
  
"Tell me where he is." Seto whispered dangerously.  
  
Yami Bakura clamped his mouth shut.  
  
"Why are you so determined to keep him away from me?! What did I ever do to you?" Seto asked, frustrated.  
  
"You stole his love from me!" Yami Bakura spat out.  
  
"What?!" Seto was so shocked, he loosened his hold. The moment he felt the other's grip slacken, Yami Bakura shoved Seto forcefully off him, and leaped up. Before Seto could even stand, he was off like a rocket.  
  
However, Yami Bakura wasn't fast enough to keep Seto from glimpsing his face. And this glimpse left the billionaire very puzzled indeed.  
  
'Tears?'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Okay, I know it is very unlikely for Seto to actually find the house Bakura was in, but I couldn't think of any better way!)  
  
'This was all my fault.' This was the main thought that ran through Ryou' head.  
  
'I should have prevented my yami from hurting Mokuba. But I should also have noticed how Yami felt for me. Now, they both hate me!' Ryou continued to sob, his shoulders shaking violently. 'I'm all alone. I shouldn't have shouted at Yami like that.I didn't really want him to leave. I just wanted some time alone.'  
  
If Ryou had listened hard enough, he would have heard the car engine outside. But he was too busy blaming himself to do so.  
  
'All my fault.' The albino felt a hand on his shoulder. Thinking it was his Yami, he turned around, about to apologize, when he realized it was someone else.  
  
"Seto!" he gasped out.  
  
Ryou threw himself forward, hugging the other youth tightly, burying his nose into Seto's trenchcoat. "Seto, I'm really sorry, I really am. You're right, I should have controlled my Yami better, I didn't mean for Mokuba to get hurt! Please, will you forgive me?"  
  
Seto gently placed a finger on the other boy's lips, silencing him. He smiled, then suddenly leaned down to capture the white haired boy's lips in a kiss. It was short, but sweet. The two savored every second of it, as they both hadn't done so in such a long time.  
  
When they broke apart, Seto was still smiling. "No, Ryou. It wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have blamed you for someone else's actions. I-"  
  
Suddenly, there was a crash of glass being smashed, causing the two boys to jump in surprise. The two rushed out of the room to see what had caused the noise. They looked out the broken window, and could see in the distance a certain Yami running fast.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Yami Bakura escaped Seto's grasp, he ran away from the house. Then, when he was out of Seto's field of vision, he sprinted back to the house, back to Ryou.  
  
He hoped to make it there before Seto's car did. Pulling a bit more magic from his ring, he boosted his speed and made it to the house. As he entered, he could hear Ryou who was still weeping pitiably. Standing right outside the room Ryou was in, Yami Bakura tried to think.  
  
'Okay.Seto's coming soon, I really should apologize to Ryou. But what'll he think of me!' Yami Bakura tried to decide quickly. 'He'll definitely be convinced I lost my mind. But, otherwise, he'll feel so hurt. That boy's the most self-blaming person I've ever known. He'll definitely heap all the blame onto himself, unless someone is there with him. Well, here goes.' Yami Bakura was about to enter the room to comfort his light, when he caught sight of the blue trench coat of Seto Kaiba. Seto had entered the room before him, through a different entrance.  
  
'Damn! When'd he get here?' Yami Bakura thought angrily, as he slipped back into the shadows, so as not to be noticed.  
  
He watched them, as Ryou said something, then Seto. But the next action made him want to punch something really, really hard. He felt his anger build up as the two boys kissed.  
  
Yami Bakura clenched his fist so hard, his nails dug into his palm. 'I suppose Ryou needs me no longer. Huh. Who am I kidding? He never needed me. Especially after what I used to do to him.' He turned and ran at the window, breaking through. Shards of glass scattered everywhere, cutting into Yami Bakura's skin, yet he felt no pain except the one deep in his heart. Landing on the ground like a cat, he stood up and took off, not caring if Ryou or Seto saw him or not. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five  
  
"Was that.Yami Bakura?" Seto questioned, as the two stared out the window.  
  
Ryou nodded sadly.  
  
"How many times have you seen your yami cry, and when?" Seto suddenly asked.  
  
Perplexed by the sudden question, Ryou answered truthfully, "Umm.only once. And that was when he was crying of frustration when he couldn't get the millennium eye he stole from Pegasus to work."  
  
"Really." Seto mused.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Ryou, I have a small idea why, but you probably know for sure. Why do you think Yami Bakura cried when he saw me?"  
  
Ryou's eyes widened. "He.?"  
  
"Yes, he did."  
  
Ryou felt his own tears well up once more. "Seto-chan, it hurt me so badly!" He hugged the taller boy for comfort.  
  
"Why? Did he do something to you?" Seto asked the albino.  
  
"H-he shouted at me to get over you. Then I got mad, and yelled at him to leave me alone."  
  
Seto was a little surprised at this. Ryou usually never raised his voice for any reason, especially not to his yami.  
  
"When I did, h-he." Ryou's body wracked with sobs.  
  
"It's okay, Ryou, shh." Seto soothed. The two sunk to the floor, Ryou too overwhelmed to stand.  
  
"Tell me what happened, and I'll make Yami Bakura pay."  
  
"N-no.it's not like that." Ryou cried. "He asked me how p-painful it was to be away from you, and of course I said it h-h-hurt. Then he s-said he felt my pain t-tripled.he explained h-how he had always secretly l-l-loved me, but didn't tell m-me. And how p-painful it was for him to see me be with you. Seto, h-how c-could I have been s-so blind! He was making it so obvious that he c-cared, despite his v-v-violence, yet I chose to ignore it, and n-now." Ryou cried even harder, gripping onto his lover for support. "He left me, doing what I wanted him to do. To leave me alone. But I didn't mean it that way!"  
  
Seto hugged him tighter.  
  
"I don't know what to do." Ryou's voice was muffled as his face was pressed into the comfort of Seto's shirt.  
  
Seto was in his own state of shock. Yami Bakura's voice rang in his head, a phrase he had snapped at Seto a while back.  
  
*Memory* "You stole his love from me!"  
  
"So that's why he hates me so much."  
  
"Seto, wh-what should I d-do?" Seto looked down to see the tearstained face of Ryou.  
  
"Come on." Seto pulled the other up gently. "Let's go find him."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yami Bakura felt like his heart and soul had been ripped out, torn to pieces, then stomped on. 'Not exactly a new feeling.dammit, I knew I shouldn't have let myself get close to anyone! Look where it got me now, just like before with Anzu!'  
  
**Flashback, a millennia ago**  
  
"Promise me you'll never leave me." Yami Bakura (I'll refer to him as just Bakura in this flashback) whispered.  
  
"I promise." Anzu answered, kissing Bakura fully on the lips.  
  
*Two days later*  
  
'Anzu'll be so surprised! She'll love this.' Bakura gripped the glowing pendant in his hand, searching for his love.  
  
"Anzu! Anzu, where are you?" Bakura called.  
  
Where was she?  
  
Then as Bakura rounded the corner, what he saw made him drop the pendant while his vision blurred with tears.  
  
"Anzu, you promised." Bakura muttered as he watched the girl passionately kiss the pharaoh.  
  
"Anzu!" Bakura shouted. The girl gasped at who it was.  
  
"B-bakura! It's not what you think!"  
  
"How could you?" Bakura hung his head in grief. Through his blurred vision, he saw the pendant lying on the ground where he dropped it. The one he had bought with all his savings, just for his Anzu.  
  
"Bakura, what's that?" Anzu asked, staring at the beautiful pendant curiously.  
  
"It was a gift, for you. But I guess you don't want it anymore." He stared at the girl angrily. "I'm sorry, your highness, for disturbing you." he added respectfully, bowing to the king.  
  
"Er." Yami muttered, who didn't know what was going on.  
  
"Goodbye, Anzu." With that, Bakura crushed the pendant with his foot and ran off, a trail of tears sparkled behind.  
  
"Bakura, wait!"  
  
"You promised, my love. But I guess promises are just mere words that mean nothing. Just another one of the many things that can be easily broken." Bakura murmured. By the time he reached his home, which could barely be called a home, more like a mound of dried mud, he was worn and tired out.  
  
Bakura stared at the ground, his hand over his heart. His eyes hardened, giving him an almost evil look. He wiped away the tears. "Feelings and emotions are for the weak. I am not weak."  
  
As Bakura lifted his head, anyone could have sworn he looked like a different person. His brows were etched in a deep frown, his mouth a thin line. His once bright cheerful brown eyes were now a dull lifeless color, almost black. When he spoke, his voice had none of it's previous cheer. It was cold with not a single trace of the friendliness it once held.  
  
"I will never love again."  
  
**End Flashback**  
  
Worn out, with all the magic of his ring used up, Yami Bakura slumped to the ground. By now, he had made it back to the city where it all started.  
  
He ignored the curious stares of the passersby, but when they continued to do so, Yami Bakura became quite irritated and shouted out to the passing people, "Quit staring like a pack of hungry wolves!! Can't you mind your own goddamned business for once?!" he roared.  
  
That definitely worked. Now, no one stared. In fact, they hurried away quickly. Except for one person.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
/Hey, isn't that Yami Bakura up there? What's he doing, just sitting there?/ Yugi asked mentally.  
  
//Odd. I don't sense his lighter side with him. He appears to be alone.// Yami replied.  
  
/I'm going to ask him./  
  
//Yugi, wait! Do you forget who this is?! He's a dangerous criminal if you've forgotten!//  
  
/Don't worry. If he does anything suspicious, you can just take over./ Yugi watched, amused as Yami Bakura shouted out something, causing the passersby to avoid him as best as possible. He walked over to the yami.  
  
"Hey, Yami Bakura?"  
  
The Yami jerked his head up at his name. Seeing Yugi, he growled. "What do you want now?"  
  
"What're you doing back here alone? Where's Ryou?" Yugi asked calmly.  
  
"That's not your concern, but if you're going to pry, which I know you will, all I'm sayin' is that Ryou no longer needs me anymore." he scowled.  
  
Yugi was startled at this. "That's not true, if you died, Ryou would also! You're part of each other, of course he needs you!"  
  
Abruptly, alarming Yugi, Yami Bakura just laughed. Not some evil laugh, or a joyful laugh, but something closer to a despairing laugh. Yugi could detect a touch of insanity and suffering in Yami Bakura's voice.  
  
"HA! What a joke, sure he needs me, yeah, that's a good one Yugi." Cackling mirthlessly, the crazy yami began to choke from his own outbursts.  
  
//Yugi, I'm taking over.// Yami quickly assumed control of their body and immediately went over to the other dark side.  
  
"Yami Bakura, what is wrong with you!" he shouted.  
  
"Wrong with me?" Yami Bakura repeated, after recovering. "There's nothing wrong with me. But there's definitely something wrong with this whole goddamned f*cking world!!" he shouted.  
  
"What happened?" Yami asked, slightly concerned. Sure, this was a dangerous villain, but it was obvious he was suffering, and Yami wasn't coldhearted enough to let him alone like that. Especially when it seemed to cause him to teeter on the brink of insanity.  
  
"For the thousandth time, it's not your business!" Yami Bakura was about to lunge at the other Yami when he heard a faint voice, calling his name.  
  
"Yami, Yami!"  
  
Turning, Yami Bakura spotted Seto and Ryou running in the distance, right towards him. For a split second, his eyes softened at seeing his light, but they immediately went back to their normal color. He turned to run from them when he felt a strong grasp on his arm.  
  
"Let me go, you b@st@rd!" He spat at Yami.  
  
Yami's expression clearly proved he had no intention to do so. "Something is going on, and I will find out." His commanding voice said.  
  
"You nosy arrogant-"  
  
Yami Bakura tried to escape, but it was useless to get away from the strong grip of the pharaoh. Before he knew it, Seto and his light were standing in front of him, Ryou breathing heavily.  
  
"Yami, why did you run off like that?" Ryou asked softly, once he had regained his breath.  
  
Yami Bakura didn't answer, he just glared at Seto hatefully, with a glimmer of jealousy shining in his eyes.  
  
"Yami, please! Talk to me!" Ryou pleaded. When his Yami still wouldn't answer, Ryou sank down, crying desperately.  
  
Suddenly, Seto's arms lashed out, and swiftly grabbed Yami Bakura's shirtfront, dragging him from Yami's grasp. "Answer him." he hissed. "Can't you see how much you're hurting him?"  
  
"Yeah?! Well what about how much he hurt me?" Yami Bakura suddenly barked out.  
  
"What is going on here?" A voice interrupted. Yami didn't like being ignored.  
  
"Yami, go home or something, I'll explain later. We'll deal with him." Seto indicated Yami Bakura.  
  
Yami was about to protest, when a weak voice spoke up. "Please, Yami. Please don't make this any harder." Ryou begged.  
  
Yami nodded once, and walked off.  
  
Seto turned his attention back to Yami Bakura. "Just talk to Ryou. Just talk with him! Don't you have one bit of humanity in you just to do that one thing?" Seto demanded.  
  
Yami Bakura just flicked his hair scornfully into Seto's face. Growling, Seto drew his hand back for a punch, hitting his target in the jaw.  
  
The dark side stumbled back, not expecting the assault. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He turned to face Seto, a frightening expression on his face. "I listen to no one, least of all you." He launched himself at Seto, and the two engaged in a fistfight.  
  
Seto was about to release a kick into Yami Bakura's stomach, when a shout stopped him.  
  
"SSSSTTTOOOOOPPP!!!"  
  
The two stopped their fighting to stare at Ryou.  
  
Nearly losing himself, Yami Bakura was about to go forward to comfort him, but once again Seto beat him to the punch. As he watched Seto comfort his light, the Yami pretended to look as if he didn't care. But inside, his heart wrenched, the scene before him reminding him once more of the love that he was denied.  
  
'Hmph. He hurt me, so what do I care if he hurts right now? Let him ache for all I care!' Yami Bakura mentally said to himself.  
  
"Shhh, Ryou, calm down. Stop crying, it's okay." Seto managed to comfort Ryou a little.  
  
Sickened by the sight, Yami Bakura was about to walk off, when a rumble caught his attention. "Huh?" All three boys screamed as a black hole seemed to open up below them, sucking them into the unknown. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six  
  
"Uhhh." Seto blinked groggily as he regained his senses. As he opened his eyes, he could barely see the forms of the two Bakuras, still blacked out. Sitting up, he asked to no one in particular. "Where are we?"  
  
Just then, the other two groaned and woke up. "Seto? Yami? Where are we?" Ryou's confused voice echoed what Seto just asked.  
  
"We're in the Shadow Realm, dimwitted fools." Yami Bakura snapped back.  
  
Seto immediately felt his rage begin to boil. "Hey, shut up Yami Bakura! It was a sensible question to ask, not everyone recognizes an alternate dimension! No need to snap at Ryou, can't you see he's having enough to go through?"  
  
"You're point?"  
  
Seto seethed inwardly at Yami Bakura's insolent answer, but he restrained himself from throttling the yami, knowing it would only upset Ryou further.  
  
"Why are we here, though?" Ryou spoke up timidly.  
  
"I don't really kn-"  
  
Seto was interrupted by Yami Bakura's scornful answer. "The Shadow Realm senses our predicament, and is feeding off the despair and anger between us. The fact that you have a Millennium item also contributes to our being here."  
  
Ryou recoiled suddenly as a long tendril of darkness brushed against him.  
  
Yami Bakura seemed uncaring on the outside, but in his mind, he was greatly concerned for his light. Ryou was the most vulnerable, and he would be no problem at all for the Shadows to consume.  
  
"We have to get out of here." Seto's voice was tensed as he helped Ryou up.  
  
"Don't you think I know that?" Yami Bakura snapped.  
  
"Well, if you're mister know-it-all, why don't you get us out, seeing as you're the most experienced one with this.place?" Seto retorted.  
  
Yami Bakura closed his eyes, thinking hard. 'The only way to get out of this place is to reverse whatever reason we were brought here. So.' Yami Bakura glanced at his two companions. He inwardly groaned. 'Great, that means I'm gonna have to cooperate with Seto. Just great.'  
  
"Okay, this is what we have to do." Yami Bakura spoke.  
  
"Since the Shadow Realm brought us because of our current quarrel, we have to solve it to get out before the Shadows decide to prey on their first victim. Namely Ryou."  
  
Bakura's eyes widened and he began to tremble. "Wh-why m-m-me?"  
  
"You are the most vulnerable."  
  
Seto grimaced. 'Ugh, I have to work with _him_?' he thought disgustedly, glancing at Yami Bakura.  
  
"Okay, so.that means we.uh." Seto began.  
  
Suddenly, Yami Bakura sighed, so unlike himself. "Yes, that means we have to work this whole thing out together." he said, slightly reluctantly.  
  
"Um, Yami?" Ryou asked nervously. Yami Bakura turned his head to glare at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"How long do we have before the Shadows.er."  
  
"My guess is about an hour." was the brisk reply.  
  
Now it was Seto's turn to sigh. "Great."  
  
The three just sat in silence, not knowing where to start.  
  
After a few minutes, Seto opened his mouth to say something, when suddenly Ryou screamed.  
  
The other two, startled, glanced in his direction.  
  
"What the-!" Seto gasped at the black smoke-like figures rising out of the ground, to wrap around a now frantic Ryou.  
  
"I thought you said we had an hour!!" Seto yelled to Yami Bakura, as he rushed forward to help.  
  
"I said my guess!" Yami Bakura shouted back.  
  
"Well, don't just stand there, help me!" Seto tried to grasp the things that held Ryou, but it just slipped through his fingers like smoke.  
  
Ryou seemed to be choking by now. "Help." he managed to gasp out, before he completely disappeared.  
  
Seto stared at the spot where Ryou once stood. Whirling, he rounded on Yami Bakura. "What'd you just stand there for?" he shouted angrily.  
  
"Once the Shadows begin consumption of a victim the way they got to Ryou, you cannot free him magically or physically." Yami Bakura said this as if Seto had the I.Q. of a newborn baby.  
  
"So how do we help him?" Seto could barely keep the resentment out of his voice.  
  
"First we have to find him, obviously. Most likely, he'll be in the darkest part of the Realm. My ring will take us there." Yami Bakura pulled out the item from out of his shirt.  
  
"But I thought Ryou had the ring." Seto noted.  
  
Yami Bakura's lip curled scornfully at the other's ignorance. "Fool. We are half of one. So, he holds half the item's power, not that he can use it, while I hold the other half. Use that so-called brain of yours!"  
  
Seto glared. "Look here, Yami Bakura. If we're to get Ryou back unharmed, that means we have to cooperate. So don't test my limits, got it?"  
  
Yami Bakura just grunted in reply.  
  
"I take that as a yes. Now hurry up and use that ring of yours!"  
  
"Come here and touch the ring." Yami Bakura commanded.  
  
Seto went over, and placed a finger on one of the cones.  
  
The yami closed his eyes, and began to chant. Slowly at first, then faster and faster. Seto stared in awe as the ring glowed brighter and brighter. Soon, it was so bright, he had to close his eyes as well. Suddenly, the two vanished without a sound.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was so dark, so cold. Dark, cold. These thoughts raced through Ryou's mind, as he floated around in the place he was in now.  
  
The last thing he remembered before he came to, wherever this was, was some black things holding him. Seto was trying to free him, Yami Bakura just stood in the background, arms crossed, offering no help. Did he hate his light so much that he wouldn't help him?  
  
It was so dark, Ryou couldn't even see his own two hands. In fact, he suspected this darkness could not be dispelled by any physical light. "Where am I now?"  
  
"Everywhere, and nowhere." An icy voice rang out.  
  
Ryou tried to see who said that, but it was useless. "Who are you?" he called out into the dark.  
  
"Everyone, yet no one."  
  
Ryou was becoming a little impatient. "Could you please give me a straight answer?" he asked politely.  
  
The voice chuckled, neither friendly nor pleasant. The sound was more like a dry hiss, causing Ryou to shiver.  
  
"Where are you? How come I can't see anything?" Ryou tried again.  
  
"Here, you must use more than just mere sight. But it will be of little use to you, since in a matter of minutes you will be reduced to something little more than an empty shell."  
  
"H-huh?" But the albino received no response.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Okay, Yami Bakura, this isn't funny at all! Where are you!" Seto called for the millionth time.  
  
"Great. I'm stuck in another dimension, with only a tomb robber to depend on, who apparently has just deserted me, while Ryou's life is at stake. Perfect." Seto muttered.  
  
He yelped when he felt something touch his arm. "Who's there?" Seto asked, alert.  
  
A familiar snicker gave him the answer. "Not very comfortable here, are you?"  
  
"Well, it's not exactly like I've been here before like you have." Seto shot back. "How come I can't see?"  
  
"We're in a place where sight is useless. Here you have to use the mind to 'see'." Yami Bakura replied.  
  
"And how, pray tell, are we supposed to do that? Take our brains out and stick it in our eyes?" Seto said sarcastically.  
  
"Look, you're the one who said we have to cooperate. So shut up if you want me to explain." Yami Bakura snapped.  
  
"Well, it's not exactly like I'm stopping you." Seto answered.  
  
"It's kind of like dreaming. Just imagine yourself in a scenario. Think of nothing else. Back in our own dimension, we have no control over what we dream, but here, once we open our minds, this part of the dimension causes us to think ourselves into the exact same scene, seeing each other mentally. That way, we know of each others' actions."  
  
"How are we supposed to act?"  
  
"Just move around physically, and you'll see yourself do it in the 'dream'."  
  
(Okay, that made absolutely no sense at all, but hey, it was worth a shot!)  
  
"Er.okay." Seto didn't really understand fully how this vision thing worked, but he did it anyway.  
  
Imagining himself in a dark forest, Seto didn't realize the power of the Shadow Realm was forcing Yami Bakura to think of the same scene. Seto saw himself next to a huge black tree, Yami Bakura standing in front of him.  
  
"Okay, now what?" Seto asked. He felt odd watching himself talk.  
  
"Isn't it obvious? We look for Ryou. Now come on." Yami Bakura led the way.  
  
The two made their way around the twisting trees. "How do you know where to go?" Seto asked.  
  
"As long as Ryou is conscious, I can sense where he is." Yami Bakura stiffly replied.  
  
".Right." 


	7. chapter 7

Disclaimer: I didn't put a disclaimer for chapters 5 and 6, so this one will go for those two chapters as well.  
  
*clears throat* Ahem. I DON'T OWN YUGIOH!  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Ryou was getting bored. A few minutes had passed, and nothing of interest had occurred. He still hadn't figured out how to see, and he was beginning to miss Seto's and his yami's company. The cold clammy feeling of his surroundings didn't exactly help either.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Would you hurry it up?!" Yami Bakura barked out. Seto was beginning to lag.  
  
"I.feel weird." Seto panted.  
  
Miffed as he was, Yami Bakura walked back to the other boy. "What's the matter with you?"  
  
"I don't.know." Seto was beginning to feel nauseous, and his vision was blurring.  
  
Yami Bakura cursed. "Dammit, the Shadows are starting to prey on you! They're moving way too fast for my liking."  
  
Seto was having a hard time staying awake. "Can't.you stop." Seto slumped over, unconscious. He was beginning to fade, which didn't help Yami Bakura's temper.  
  
"Seto, not now! We have to find Ryou!" Yami Bakura was about to slap the other awake, when he had an idea. Quickly, he grasped his Millennium Ring and chanted another spell. When it's glow intensified to it's maximum, Yami Bakura touched the ring to Seto's forehead. The Sennen Eye faintly appeared, then disappeared as soon as it came.  
  
Seto awoke, groaning. "What happened?"  
  
Yami Bakura tried to look unconcerned. "I used my portion of magic to temporarily bar you from the Shadow's grasps. I can't save Ryou _and_ you at the same time, by myself."  
  
Seto stared, making the yami uncomfortable. "Why would you want to save me?"  
  
Yami Bakura jumped, not expecting the question. "Er, I, that is."  
  
Slightly smiling, Seto just got up and gestured for him to continue the search.  
  
After walking a bit, Seto thought of something. "Hey, if you saved me from the.shadows, or whatever they are, why didn't you do that to Ryou?"  
  
"The Shadows were getting to Ryou by a different method. Since he's so vulnerable, they got to him in a more harsh way. For you, since you have a stronger will and is stronger than Ryou in many ways, they plan to get rid of you by different means."  
  
"How were they planning to get rid of me?"  
  
Even though this was only in 'dreamland', Yami Bakura was beginning to feel tired and cross. "Look, I don't know everything about this place! Isn't one answer enough?"  
  
"Touch-y."  
  
"Hmph."  
  
Suddenly, Yami Bakura broke into a run. "Hey!" Seto began to protest.  
  
"He's close." Yami Bakura said grimly.  
  
"You make it sound like that's a bad thing."  
  
"It's not that!" Yami Bakura snapped. "The Shadows are going faster than I thought. If we don't find him soon, he'll be totally helpless. Ryou's not exactly someone I'd call with a strong will."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ryou was still alone. Nothing had happened. He was starting to doubt that his yami and lover were not coming to save him.  
  
'No!' Ryou shook his head. 'I can't think like that!' But the seeds of doubt were already beginning to sprout in his mind, watered by the darkness.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"There!" Yami Bakura pointed ahead.  
  
Seto squinted to see what was ahead. All he saw were trees, trees, and more trees. "I don't see anything."  
  
"Idiot."  
  
Before Seto could respond to the insult, Yami Bakura replied, "Didn't you learn anything while here? You don't see in this dimension. Remember, whatever you 'see' right now is in the dream, the vision you and I created."  
  
"But what did you point to?"  
  
"Sense it, you dolt!"  
  
Seto shot a warning glare before trying to sense what was ahead. He was interrupted by Yami Bakura's biting voice.  
  
"Forget it. Just follow me."  
  
Seto followed behind the tomb robber. Surprisingly, he no longer doubted the yami. Before, he would have been suspicious of where Yami Bakura was taking them, but now, strangely, he had his full trust in Yami Bakura. Perhaps it was because they had been together for such a large amount of time.  
  
Suddenly, Yami Bakura disappeared. Seto started, and looked around. "Yami Bakura! Where'd you go?"  
  
"I'm here!" the answer was barely audible.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Here!" Suddenly, a hand shot out of nowhere, near Seto's face. It grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to wherever it came from.  
  
When he felt his shoulder freed, Seto spun around to face whoever it was, only to be met by the scornful look of Yami Bakura.  
  
"Er, what just happened?"  
  
"I pulled you into a space warp." Yami Bakura shook his head at Seto's ignorance.  
  
"Oh, okay."  
  
Now their surroundings had changed. It was like the scenario the two had first seen when sucked into the Shadow Realm. Just dark, but not dark enough to be unable to see anything.  
  
"Come on, let's go." Yami Bakura's tone sounded urgent, as if he was worried something bad would happen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
By now, Ryou was beginning to feel desperate. "Yami! Seto! Where are you?" He called, hoping he would hear a response.  
  
He got a response, alright, but not the one he wanted. That icy voice was back, only now it sounded stronger. "They're not coming."  
  
"What? What are you talking about, of course they're coming." Ryou cried.  
  
"No. They forgot about you. They don't care about you. Why should they? You are too weak, too insignificant to be of any use for anything. You only get in their way."  
  
Ryou was about to snap back a reply, when he stopped. Despite his reluctance to believe it, what the voice said was slightly true. He was weak, it was true he never really made a difference. Slowly, his grasp on the hope that they would come was beginning to slip.  
  
"Not coming." Ryou mumbled.  
  
"Yes, yes! Feel the despair. They have abandoned you, they do not care." The voice became stronger and stronger the more Ryou slid into anguish.  
  
He thought about all those times he had been a problem.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Seto-chan, you-" Ryou stopped as he saw the grim expression and his brother in his arms.  
  
"Seto-chan, what happened to Mokuba? Is he okay?" Ryou asked, concerned for the little guy.  
  
"He's fine now, but no thanks to you." The billionaire growled.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"We had an agreement when you moved in. Either you keep control of your Yami, or you dispose of that ring!" Seto barked.  
  
"But Seto-chan, you know I can't get rid of the ring, and Yami didn't do anything!" Ryou protested.  
  
*End flashback*  
  
'Mokuba wouldn't have gotten hurt if it weren't for me.'  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Because of you, I feel your pain tripled." Yami Bakura's eyes were unusually bright, as if they held unshed tears.  
  
*End flashback*  
  
'And even my own Yami is hurt because of me.'  
  
"Yes, that's right. You were nothing but a pebble in their shoes. Ryou Bakura. Ha! More like Ryou the Baka. What made you think they cared?" The voice mocked.  
  
Tears slid down Ryou's cheeks. 'He's right. What use was I to anyone? But.'  
  
Ryou realized something, making him grasp the hope once more.  
  
"You're wrong!" He called out defiantly to the voice.  
  
"They always did care for me, no matter what I did! Even after Mokuba got hurt, Seto came looking for me, to apologize. Yami Bakura used to hurt me, but now he cares about me so he doesn't beat me anymore. That must be why he agreed to that truce! Even if I did something bad to them, they forgave me."  
  
'At least, Seto did. I don't know if Yami Bakura forgives me right now, but that still doesn't mean he cares for me no longer.' Ryou thought. Slowly, he remembered all the happy moments he had with the other two boys. He even remembered a few good times with his yami, violent he may be.  
  
Ryou winced as the voice began shrieking in anger. "Fine, think that way. But whether they come or not, they won't get you back alive!"  
  
Suddenly, an excruciating pain tore through Ryou's body. Screaming, he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping it would end soon. 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own yugioh.  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Seto jerked at a noise. "Did you hear that?"  
  
Yami Bakura frowned. "Hear what?"  
  
Seto shushed him, and listened again. This time, the noise was much louder, easy to hear. Screaming.  
  
"Sh*t." Yami Bakura cursed.  
  
"Wasn't that Ryou? Well?! What are you just standing there for, hurry up and find him!" Seto was getting frantic.  
  
"Come on!" The two set off at a sprint, Yami Bakura leading the way. How he knew where to go, Seto didn't know but he followed anyway. The screaming got louder and louder.  
  
"There!" Yami Bakura pointed. Up ahead, they could see the writhing form of Ryou, as he shrieked in pain.  
  
"Ryou, Ryou!" Seto shook him gently. "Ryou, it's us!"  
  
Ryou cracked an eye open. Seto gasped at the sight. The pupils of Ryou's eyes were gone, it was just all white.  
  
"What's happened to him?"  
  
Yami Bakura shoved Seto roughly out of the way, and crouched to examine his light, who appeared to have passed out by now.  
  
"Nothing bad, he's only like this because he doesn't know how to see in this dimension. Remember, all you see around you is in the vision you created, remember? Ryou doesn't know how to do that, so he can't see us. Only hear us, while seeing dark all around him."  
  
"But why was he screaming?"  
  
"The darkness tried to get to him emotionally, but surprisingly, that didn't work. Ryou seems to have a stronger will than what we gave him credit for. Now, the Shadows are getting to him physically, through physical pain." Yami Ryou replied calmly.  
  
"How can you be calm about this?!"  
  
"Because I know how to save him."  
  
"You do? How?" Seto asked eagerly.  
  
Yami Bakura sighed. "The Shadow Realm does not like to prey on the strong ones. Ryou is weak, in a sense, so they _want_ to devour him. They didn't want to devour you, but they tried anyway since you happened to be here."  
  
"And you're telling me this because.?"  
  
"I'm getting to that! I'm going back to my soul room in Ryou, then taking control of our body. I'll take the pain, while Ryou remains safe in his soul room. It might work, since I am stronger than him."  
  
Seto shouted, "If you're doing that now, why didn't you do that before when he was taken in the first place?! You could have spared him a lot of pain!"  
  
"Look, even though I know a little about this dimension, that doesn't mean I can remember everything at the right time! The least you could do is give me some credit for what I'm about to do, you have no idea how much the pain hurts when the Shadows decide to engulf you physically!" Yami Bakura shouted back.  
  
Not waiting for a reply, Yami Bakura closed his eyes, and began to glow. He vanished into Ryou's body.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
~/Ryou, Ryou! It's me./~  
  
~Yami?~  
  
~/Yes./~  
  
~Yami, help me! It hurts so much.~  
  
~/I know, I'm going to take control. That way, you will be safe in your soul room./~  
  
Yami Bakura closed the link and took control. Seto watched as Ryou's body went through the changes to indicate his yami controlled the body.  
  
Yami Bakura opened his eyes, seeing Seto in front of him. He opened his mouth to say something, when the same pain that tore through Ryou before, was now impaired on the yami. Seto could only watch helplessly.  
  
But as suddenly as the pain started, it stopped. Yami Bakura sat up, breathing heavily.  
  
Seto was confused. "Did it stop already?"  
  
Yami Bakura couldn't make any sense of it. The Shadows rarely gave up so easily. He froze as he heard the icy voice that was talking to Ryou before.  
  
"You are not the same person." It hissed.  
  
Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes, even though he couldn't see the speaker. "So?"  
  
When the voice spoke again, it sounded gleeful. "You do not have the same emotional strength as your other."  
  
Without warning, Yami Bakura's surroundings changed so he was no longer with Seto. "What the f*ck are you up to?" he yelled.  
  
The voice chuckled. "You remember Anzu, don't you?"  
  
Yami Bakura stiffened. "So what if I do?"  
  
"Don't you find it unusually coincidental that the ones you love, both a millennia ago, and present time, caused you only pain?"  
  
Yami Bakura growled.  
  
"Temper, temper!" The voice mocked. "Anyway, what makes you think you can have your love in this time? Hasn't Ryou made it obvious that he doesn't want to be with you? After all, you did cause him pain."  
  
Yami Bakura faltered.  
  
"You never got to experience real love. Be one with the darkness, and you will need those feelings no more. No longer would you feel the pain of rejection. Love hurts, Yami Bakura. You of all people should know that. Surrender!"  
  
~Yami! Please, don't!~ Ryou's voice rang in Yami Bakura's head.  
  
"Do it! What use are feelings? You vowed you would never love again when Anzu left you, why do you hesitate? Forget about Ryou, forget about everything! Embrace the darkness! You ARE darkness!"  
  
Yami Bakura slowly lifted his hand to touch the black tendril that had appeared before him.  
  
~YAMI!~  
  
The mental scream ripped through Yami Bakura's mind. He dropped his hand. He could hear the voice growling in frustration. "You humans are so foolish. You give up to be at peace for eternity, only to go back to a corrupt, cruel world."  
  
Yami Bakura smirked. "Who said I am a hundred percent human? Besides, though that world may be cruel, it has it's perks."  
  
"And what might that be?"  
  
"If I told you, you wouldn't understand."  
  
"Believe what you want." The voice faded away. Yami Bakura then returned back to Seto.  
  
"You're back!" Seto looked immensely relieved.  
  
Yami Bakura thought that was it, but unfortunately, he was far from right.  
  
Once again, the pain came. Only this time, it was much more intense. He screamed at the top of his lungs, startling Seto.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
Yami Bakura squinched his eyes shut, trying not to give in. 'If I give up, not only will I be consumed, but Ryou will too. He's still in his soul room! And.even though I hate to admit it.I don't want Seto to die in this accursed place.'  
  
"It won't matter. You'll all die here." That damned voice was back.  
  
"NO!" Yami Bakura screeched. Suddenly, he felt a pulling sensation. Violently, he and Seto were pushed out of the dark dimension, and reappeared in their own.  
  
"Ow!" Seto winced as Yami Bakura landed on him. The two got up, and brushed themselves off.  
  
"What just happened there? How did we get out?" Seto asked, a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
"I'm not really sure.all I did was refuse to surrender." Yami Bakura mumbled.  
  
"That, and with my help." A voice interrupted.  
  
The two boys spun around, wary. After being in the Shadow Realm for a while, you couldn't really blame them for being jumpy.  
  
"Malik!"  
  
(BTW, I have no idea what Malik is like, other than from other fanfics cuz I'm stuck with the dubbed version and they haven't shown Malik. So I apologize if he seems a little out of character, or if I get anything wrong about him. Please email me if I do have anything wrong, so I can fix it. I just decided to stick him into this fic. I don't know how powerful he is, either.)  
  
"What are you doing here?" Yami Bakura asked.  
  
"None of your concern." Was the cool answer. Yami Bakura growled. Even though they were friends, he wasn't in the best of moods, and Malik's attitude was annoying him.  
  
"Anyway, the reason you were able to get out was because, first, Yami Bakura was strong against the Shadows, and didn't give up, and second, I sensed you two (Three, including Ryou) in that dimension. So I decided to give you a hand." The Millennium Eye could still be seen on the Egyptian's forehead.  
  
"What were you thinking, Yami Bakura, going to the Shadow Realm! You know you are no longer strong enough to resist it alone, and why did you take this boy with you?" Malik indicated Seto. "You know he can't fight the Shadows, especially since he has no magic."  
  
Seto felt a bit vexed. Sure, rub it in that he had no magic.  
  
"It wasn't my fault, Malik." Yami Bakura snapped. "The Realm sensed the negative feelings between me, my hikari, and Seto. It pulled us in, itself!"  
  
Malik raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what happened?"  
  
"None of your concern." Yami Bakura said, mimicking Malik's previous answer. "We have to go, come on Seto."  
  
Yami Bakura waved goodbye to Malik.  
  
"Cuz we have some things to work out." Yami Bakura whispered, in Seto's ear.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
~Yami? Can I come out now? Is it safe?~  
  
~/Yes./~  
  
Seto jumped as Ryou came out of the Millennium ring Yami Bakura wore.  
  
"Ryou! Are you alright?" Seto hugged his love tightly, nearly suffocating him.  
  
"F-fine, Seto, thanks!" Ryou gasped out, as he was squeezed so hard, he couldn't breathe.  
  
When Ryou was released, he turned to his yami. "Yami? What about you? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.  
  
"Fine. This is all nice and mushy, but I'd rather stay out of it." Back went Yami Bakura into the ring, leaving Seto and Ryou alone.  
  
Ryou shifted awkwardly. ".Um, Seto."  
  
Seto cut him off. "You don't have to say anything, Ryou -chan. I'm sorry about my behavior earlier. I." Seto bit his lip. "I still want you to stay with me. Being with you is worth it to risk your Yami."  
  
"Of course I'll stay with you!" Bakur smiled, but he was saddened that Seto still didn't trust his Yami. He could feel Yami Bakura's anger and jealousy in his soul room.  
  
~Yami, please.~  
  
~/PLEASE WHAT?!/~ Yami Bakura mentally roared. ~/After all I did for you, you repay me by what? Going back to this jerk! Who doesn't seem the least bit grateful for what I did! The least he could do is show some gratitude for saving the one he loves!/~  
  
Seto's voice interrupted their little mental argument. "But, after the past events, I think I'm ready to trust your Yami now. I know he hurt Mokuba, but that was only a result of feeling unloved. Tell him." Seto seemed reluctant to be so forgiving, a trait he rarely showed. "Tell him I'm sorry."  
  
"But you have nothing to be sorry for!" Ryou was a little shocked by Seto's sudden forgiving nature.  
  
"Of course there is. I should also have noticed his pain, I shouldn't have been so harsh to judge him." Seto smiled crookedly. "Of course, when it comes to Mokuba, that's what I always do."  
  
~See? Seto _is_ grateful!~  
  
~/./~  
  
"I'm sure we can work this out together." Ryou smiled back, and the two boys made their way back to the mansion. 


	9. Epilogue

*Epilogue*  
  
Yami Bakura sighed. He was out taking a walk, thinking about what had happened.  
  
'Perhaps it is for the best. Ryou deserves him, not some insane killer like me.' Yami Bakura sadly looked up at the sky, which was a soft pinkinsh orange, due to the sun setting.  
  
'But I really can't be blamed for wanting a second chance.' Again, Yami Bakura felt tears slip down his cheeks. If Malik were here to see this, Yami Bakura would definitely have a fit.  
  
But this time, the yami did not stop them. He remembered what his hikari had said to him, when they all sat down to work it out.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Yami, I'm really sorry for everything that's happened to you. I know all you really wanted was another chance at love, but." Ryou glanced at Seto.  
  
"I follow what my heart tells me. You will find your own match soon, I'm positive."  
  
Yami Bakura just sat in silence. He didn't know what to say, his light rarely showed such wisdom. Finally, he couldn't stand it. He leapt up from the couch, and ran out. Behind him, he could hear his light calling to him.  
  
"Remember, Yami! The saying goes that it takes the strongest man to cry, to show his true feelings."  
  
*End flashback*  
  
'Perhaps you are right, my light. I will find my match, one who will love me and never leave me. I will have to be patient. My love will come, and once they do, I shall suffer no more.'  
  
Flashes of memories being with Anzu or Ryou raced through his mind. 'I guess we were never meant to be. I will wait. But until then.'  
  
Yami Bakura watched the beautiful sunset, for once appreciating life around him, not cursing it. As he watched the beautiful scene, he glanced at a nearby couple walk by, hand in hand.  
  
His hard eyes softened once more, his jacket blowing in the breeze.  
  
'Someday.'  
  
~Owari~  
  
Ehhh.not the best of my stories, but I enjoyed writing this. Thank you to all you reviewers, for your encouragement and comments. 


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